Wife On The Run

Rowan's POV 

HongKong was everything it promised to be, bright lights, ruthless deals, ceilings made of glass and gold. 

Across from my team and I sat the entire HongKong representatives , with Mr Liang the CEO at the head of the table. 

I watched in silence as they flipped through the thick contracts and glossy presentations. 

" We're impressed with this Mr Sinclair"" Liang said with an asian accent. " Your numbers are clean, and the vision aligns perfectly with our expansion" he adds firmly 

I offered a polite nod, glad that this was going according to plan .

" We are prepared to sign the contract, although.." he paused and then continued. "We expected your wife to be here with you" 

His words immediately caught me by surprise. 

In all my years of doing business, I have never needed the presence of Celine to sign a business deal. 

I remained still and then asked. " Excuse me?" 

" Forgive me if I caught you by surprise but your wife carries the grace of your brand well, elegant and reserved" he explained and then continued. " Even though I haven't met her but I have heard soo much about her" 

I tried to hide the puzzled expression that was beginning to form on my face as I wondered what kind of things he might have heard about Celine. 

Celine has just being a trophy wife for the past 2 years. We acted as the perfect couple but only in public, behind closed doors, we were strangers...I made sure of it.

" I heard she took care of you after the accident, ......you would have looked stronger with her beside you today" he continued 

And there it was. Another reminder.

Even in boardrooms, Celine's absence was loud.

" She had personal matters to attend to" I defended in a flat tone. I wasn't going to allow her ruin this for me.

 Liang nodded and then said " that's unfortunate, power couples are always a stronger image.....but don't worry, it's already a done deal. We can start with the signing" 

I let out a breath that I didn't even realize I was holding as we began the signing process. But then, I didn't feel the usual satisfaction that I would normally feel as this bothered me greatly.

That night, as I stood in the penthouse of the hotel I was lodged in, I could see the whole city beneath me, but then....none of it felt real, why was I having this strange feeling? Feeling of being incomplete. 

All of these started since I received the divorce papers few days ago. I didn't have the luxury of time to worry about her decision because I had to be in HongKong but then I just couldn't help the thought of Celine that constantly keeps creeping into my mind at every chance that it got.

I opened the photo gallery on my phone and scrolled through it. 

There she was standing beside me at the charity event we had organized 3 months ago. She wasn't even looking at the camera as her face was off to the side. Stressed. Distant.

I didn't even notice that night as I had been too busy talking numbers and impressing the investors.

I shut my eyes and leaned back as guilt started to creep in. I had never touched her, not once,.....two years of marriage and not a single moment that I'd made her feel chosen. I had thought it was a way to punish her for stepping in to represent her step sister when she could have blatantly refused. 

Her entire family had mocked me and wanted to treat me as a charity case just because I was on a wheelchair. 

And now? She wants to leave? The audacity!

My phone buzzed on the table. It was a text from Emilia. " Told you I'd get the deal done. See? I'm not just a pretty face. Drinks when you're back?" 

I scoffed out loud and didn't respond. Not because I didn't want to, but because for the first time ...I didn't care. 

She seemed to have forgotten what she did to me. How she had disappeared the morning we were supposed to get married. Does she really think getting me this deal would make everything go away? 

I picked up my phone and called Philip.

" Where is she?" I barked as soon as he answered the call 

" Mr Sinclair... We've interrogated everyone single person that might be linked to Ms Celine but no one knows......" He tried to explain but I cut him off 

" I don't want excuses Philip" I snapped. " I want her found" 

I was getting frustrated at this point. Never in my two years of marriage did I think that I would be this worried about Celine.

" She left sir. She left her phone at her parent's house, she doesn't want to be found" Philip said carefully 

My voice immediately dropped,..... cold and quiet.

I had let Celine slip through my fingers like she was nothing. But she wasn't nothing. She is my wife and now she is a ghost with my name on her ID.

And for the first time in a long time.....I felt nothing but fear.